Puzzle or game apparatus.



E. P. HUNT.

PUZZLE 0R GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATHJN FILED FEB. 20,1917.

Patented May14-,1918.

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EDWARD P. HUNT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PUZZLE OR GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed February 20, 1917.

To all whom 2'13 mag concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD P. HUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Puzzles or Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel and attractive game apparatus or puzzle.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character designed to imitate or represent the shooting of soldiers in the trenches and adapted to aii'ord entertainment by calling for the exercise of a cer tain amount of the players skill in playin the game or solving the puzzle.

The game or puzzle comprises a board provided with a plurality of intersecting grooves orchannels representing trenches, at the outer ends of which are arranged toy soldiers, and a revolving gun adapted to sweep over the trenches and receive projectiles for knocking downthe soldiers.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure I is a perspective view of my improved game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the game board showing the means of mounting the toy soldiers. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3 -3, Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicatev corresponding parts throughout the several views. v

1 represents the base of the game board which is constructed of cardboard, wood or other appropriate material, and 2, 3, indicate the side and end walls thereof.

Arranged in the base 1 of this game board are a plurality of intersecting grooves or channels 4, 5, 6, 7, representing military trenches, there being preferably four sets each comprising two grooves in parallel re lation with each other. As shown in the drawings, these trenches have the appearance of an eight-pointed star, which is produced by describing these grooves around the central octagonal portion area 8. At the intersection of these grooves, or at the eight points of the star, are formed enlargements 9 which are provided with depressions or.

pockets 10.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14:, 1918.

Serial No. 149,766.

The trench-grooves may be carved or otherwise out if the base 1 is constructed of wood, while if constructed of metal or thick cardboard, the same may be stamped.

Located at the outer junctions of the inter secting trench-grooves are figures representing soldiers 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, one man being stationed at each point of the star, making eight in all. Each of these soldiers is rigidly mounted on a platform 19 arranged in alinement with or opposite the junction of the adjacent intersecting grooves. Each platform is pivotally mounted or hinged on a base plate 20 riveted or otherwise secured to the game board and having vertical lugs 21- which receive a horizontal pin or pintle 22 to which the rear end of said platform is secured. The latter extends over the adjacent enlargement 9 and the front end of the platform is curved upwardly so as to extend a short distance above the surface of the boards, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

23, 23, indicate the barrels of aduplex gun for shooting balls or projectiles 2a at the toy soldiers. This gun is suitably supported on a revolving base 25 pivoted at 26 to the central portion '8 of the game board. These barrels are inclined to slope toward the trenches, so that the projectiles introduced into their open rear ends will roll by gravity into. the trenches and upset the toy soldiers by striking the upturned ends of the platforms 19. The barrels of the gun are parallel with each otherand spaced to register with the parallel trench-grooves of each set;

Each of the toy soldiers 1118, inclusive, is preferably mounted closely to the fulcrum 21 of its platform 19, to bring its center of gravity in close proximity to said fulcrum, thereby causing the soldiers to fall backward readily under the impact of a comparatively light projectile.

The object of the game or puzzle is to knock down seven of the eight soldiers consecutively with only seven projectiles, thus leaving but one soldier standing behind one of the in barrels when the game is over. To attain this object, it is necessary always to have a soldier behind one of the gun the gun.

desired position, bringing it in alinemellt \vith apair of trenches and pointing o'ne of its barrels at the soldier he .WlSllGStO shoot. He then places in the elevated end of said barrel, a ball or projectile which rolls down into the desired trench and is direct by the latter toward the upturned front end of the platform on whreh'the soldier is mounted,'the projectile strikingsaid endand tipping the tplatiornrfar enough. tocause the soldier to fallen hisback. After upsetting the sold er, the pro ectile drops into the COTI'GSPOH'dlIlg pocket 10 and remains there ,until the end of the game. fThepl-ayernext turns the gun'to a posit-ion which will permithim to knoekdou'nthe soldier who last 'firedtheigun, being carefulto see thatthere is a standinglsoldier behind the gun and not apreviously-fallen one. Inthe position of the parts shown in Fig. of the drawings, the player assumed to have started by filing' at and upsetting" the soldier l6, and then 4 to haveturned the gun to the positioushown and upset the soldier 11, who had previously .fired atthe soldier. 16. The player next turns the gun t o'a position to knock down the soldier 1% who had just previously fired This process is continued until only one soldier remains V standing, signifying that'the game is Won or the puzzle solved.

Although I have shown a doublebarrel guinl'donot wish tobe limited to thaticonstruction, asthe game can be carried out successfully by the use of a. slnglebarrel 'un.

By using the double-barrel gun, the player hasa choice asto the barrel withivhioh he prefers to, shoot, that is, either qt'rorn the right or left barrel. if desired, the game board. may also be limodified within the scope of the appended claims Without. departing from the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. In a game apparatus or puzzle, a gameboard having a central area,aplurality of grooves. extending, in difierent directions from said area, n ovab'le objects arranged in line with said grooves, and a gun. mounted I011 the game-board and revoluble about said centralfarea for shooting projectiles into any of'said grooves from their inner toward their outer ends.

2. In agameapparatus orpuzzle, a game board having a plurality of intersecting trench-grooves arranged in the form of a star, objects representing soldiers located at the points of said star andpivotally mountedlonsaid board, and a revoluble gun arranged centrally of the star and adapted to shootprojectiles into said grooves.

33in aganie apparatus or puzzle, a game boardhaving a plurality of trench-grooves, platforiiis located in line with said grooves and hinged to said board, figures secured to said platforms, and a gun nioiint'edonthe gaineboard "and having a barrel capable of assuming positions in line with said grooves for shooting projee-tiles'into the same,

i; In a game apparatus or'puzzle, a game boardhavlng a ;plurality of-parallel setsof intersecting-grooves arranged inthe form of a st'argfigures representing soldiers located at thepoints of said star andhingedto said board, j and a revoluble gun lIlOtlIlEEdjjCQlltrally ofsaid star and having'doivni vardlyinclined barrels arranged in sp'aoed' parallel -relat oninth each other andadapted to be brought into 'alinen ent with a set-- of said parallel-grooves for shooting projeetile'sinto the same.

5. In aga ne apparatus or puzzle, agame board having a pluralityof trench 'grooves, platforms located in, line with said gi'poves' and hingedto said board, each of said plat- I forms having an upturned front end, figures mounted on said; platforms, and a gun mo vably mounted onthe- -ga1ne board and-adapted to shoot-p roj ectiles' into said grooves.

. 6. "In a game apparatus or zpu'zzl'e, a 7 game board having a plurality of parallel sets of intersecting grooves arranged. in the; form of aistar, pockets located at'thepoints of said star, hinged platforms niountedon'said board and extending over said pockets, each of said platforms being )provided with an upturned frontedge adapted to be struck by a projectile, figures representing soldiers I secured to said I platforms, 1 and revoluble gun mounted centrally of-said stariand hav ing a doWnWardly-inolined barrel adapted tolbe brought in alineinent With said'grooves.

T. A puzzle or game apparatus, comprising a board having a gun revolubly mounted on said-board, a pluralityof inovable figures stationed on said boardfabout said gun, and projectiles adapted to 1' upset said figures, thenurnber of said projeotilesbeing oneless than the number of saidifigures.

8. A puzzle or-game apparatus, coniprising 'a board having a pluralitypf trenchgrooves, movable military "figures; stationed in line with said grooves and each adapted to be telled-"bya' single'shot, a gun, and

projectiles adapted toiupsetsaid figures, the number of said "pro ectiles being one :less than the numberof said figures.

9. A puzzle or game apparatus, comprisof said star and having a pair of parallel ing a board having intersecting pairs of barrels spaced apart to correspond to the parallel trench-grooves arranged in the form spacing of said pairs of trench-grooves, and 10 of an eight-pointed star, eight figures represeven projectiles each adapted to be shot senting soldiers one stationed at each point toward one of said figures. of said star, said figures being hinged to said board, a revoluble gun arranged centrally EDWARD P. HUNT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained to: Ive cents eaeh, by eddreaaim: the commissioner of Iatents,

wuhingten, D. 0. 

